Teeny critter; giant squash

Yesterday I'd been tidying and watering the garden below my veranda rail at the shop, when I felt a light sensation in my hair! I turned to Colette who was standing on the steps alongside my garden to take a look. It was a teeny praying mantis. She gently picked it off my head and placed it in the abundant potted greenery outside her shop.

I managed a few  snaps as it crept around and behind the geranium leaves looking for shelter. 

 Although it looks magnified in the photo, due to my zooming in on it, the tiny praying mantis was only about and inch long

Back at home, my garden is thriving. Mainly with pumpkins (butternuts) and new potatoes. It's mid-summer here in South Africa and the temperatures have been unbearably hot and dry. Our rains just aren't arriving and the daily temps are in excess of 37 degrees Celsius /  98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The gem squashes in my garden are the size of a soccer ball. 

  The giant sized gem squash in my garden at home 

 Another lighter variety of the same gem squash 

These two squashes are enough for a family of eight! 

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL! 

All the girls!

Hi Bozo and all Mum's blog readers; this Ambrose and I have a post where I  don't appear! I was out socializing with the dairy cats yesterday when Mum took photos of the girls resting in the house. 

Aunty  Chappie waits on the  counter top in  case Mum hands out cookies

 Missy on her day bed  

Mama Cass  keeps cool in hand basin  

For  more cute pet posts, click here

Full steam ahead holiday guests

Since the first weekend in  December, I've had  guests in  The  Bunker. My long stay guest  whose car later floated  past the  window (LOL)  arrived  on  Monday  17th  December  mere minutes after I'd cleaned after a beautiful young Swazi couple  who'd vacated it that morning.   This guest left early on Sunday 30th December. I was up there to clean before I opened the shop. 

The Bunker: ostensibly sleeps two, a child under 12 by arrangement, my elegant and upmarket Central Drakensberg accommodation 

At 8, Estelle arrive bringing bedding and a single sleeper for the couple and ten-year-old who were booking in at 2pm. After I'd placed the guests' gifts on the table, taken a last look around to see  everything looks inviting, I locked the door. Estelle had asked me to come down to their house (also on the estate) for a cuppu before I came to the center to open The Art Box.

At 10am, my next guests arrived at the shop. Normally check in time is 14h00 but I'd told them they could collect the keys and book in earlier. They were thrilled and on Monday (last day of the year) they popped into the shop to say how much they were enjoying my beautiful unit. 

The gentleman has just arrived at the shop this morning (Wednesday) handed in the  keys and thanked me again for the  lovely stay and said they'd be back! 

Estelle will relieve me at the shop around 11am. I'll go up to The Bunker, clean and prep for the next guests arriving at  2pm.

Meanwhile  my larger group of young people arrived to spend from 26 December until today 2 January, at Ulundi Family Holiday Home.  They were settled in OK but by Friday,  they asked if they could have HTH  as the pool was green. I had left 2kg of HTH  with the gardener who should  have ensured the pool was kept in pristine condition. Out here in the Valley  not one of the supermarkets stock pool cleaner so after work I drove to Winterton  and bought a 4kg container from the hardware store.  

Next  morning, after I'd done my Parkrun, I arrived at work at 9am. Bardy,  Colllette's husband  had kindly agreed to take the granules up to Ulundi and apply  to the pool. We decanted a few cups into a plastic container which Bardy left with the  guests. The remainder of the HTH is with me for new guests. 

This morning Ulundi guests checked out saying how they enjoyed their stay  at the large family  home. I  was pleased to hear this as it was the first  time I'd rented out this rather more rustic home. 

Ulundi Family Holiday Home: sleeps up to ten  guests. Spacious and comfortable, Ulundi has proved to be a great place to holiday with family and  friends

Estelle is due in half and hour and  I will leave her to "man" the shop while I prep for the next  guests at The Bunker. On the way out, I will drop new cosmetic brochures with  customers along the veranda on the way to my car. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY WONDERFUL  BLOG FRIENDS